Instrument panel for accommodating changeable arrays of instruments



Jan. 16, 1951 s. A. WALTON INSTRUMENT PANEL FOR ACCOMMODATING CHANGEABLEARRAYS OF INSTRUMENTS Filed April 17, 1946 i NM QR MN M W SE w l lllllllLll Patented Jan. 16, 1951 OFFICE INSTRUMENT PANEL I 'ORACCOMMODAT- ABRAYS OF INSTRU- .ING 'CHANGEABLE MENTS Sydney AlbertWalton, London, England, assignor to S. Smith & Sons (England) Limited,London, England, a British company Application April 17, 1946, SerialNo.

In Great Britain March 15, 1945 1 This invention relates to instrumentpanels of the kind employing a mask through which the instruments may beviewed but which hides the supporting means, and particularly to panelsfor use on vehicles such as motor road vehicles or rail vehicles,motor-cycles, aircraft and boats. The term instrument is intended toinclude such accessories as speedometers, clocks, thermometers, oilgauges, air meters, radio sets and controls, car heaters and controls,cigarette lighters, switches, choke controls, and the like. Fordifferent models of vehicle, it is very often necessary for amanufacturer to provide for different arrays of accessories, certainarrays having more and others less accessories. The object of thepresent invention is to enable the same mask to be employed fordifferent arrays without spoiling the general appearance of the layout.According to this invention, an instrument panel comprises an instrumentsupport, a main mask in front of the support having at least one openingtherein large enough to surround a number of alternative positions forcertain accessories and a sub-mask arranged to cover those parts of theopening not occupied by an accessory, or accessories, for the selectedlayout, and thereby obscuring portions of the support which mightotherwise be visible.

In the case of an instrument panel for a motorcar, it may be that thepositions of certain accessories will be the same in different arrays,while the other accessories may differ in number and grouping fordifferent arrays. Thus, according to this invention, the main mask isprovided with a number of'apertures for those ac: cessories thepositions of which are the same in different arrays, and with anadditional openinc, large enough 'to surround the largest grouping ofother accessories which may be required for a particular array. Thus, inthe case where only a single additional accessory is required thegreater part of the openin will be covered by r the sub-mask, whereas,if the greatest number of additional instruments is employed, thesubmask will require to cover only a small portion of the opening.

The aforesaid sub-mask may comprise the means for securing to thesupport those accessories which are subject to change in difierentarrays. For this purpose, the sub-mask may be larger than the opening inthe main mask with which it is associated, and the means for securingthe accessories to it and for securing it to the support may be locatedin that part of the sub-mask which is obscured by the main mask.

Alternatively, the accessory, or accessories,

may be secured directly to said support, while the sub-mask may eitherbe carried by or formed integral with a part of an accessory, oraccessories, in which case the main mask is arranged to obscure themeans for mounting the accessory or accessories onthe support. In yet afurther alternative arrangement, the sub-mask may be I 77 1, showing oneembodiment of the invention;

Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 2 showing another embodiment of theinvention, and

Figure 4 is a front elevation of a partof a support showing analternative method of supporting the sub-mask and instrumentsindependently of one another.

The instrument support comprises a number of horizontal members It]secured to and spaced apart by end cross members I I, each of whichhorizontal members is provided with a number of tapped holes It by meansof which a number of instruments I3, l4, [5, It and I 1 may be securedin position by set-screws which engage lugs l8 on the instrument. Otherauxiliaries, such as electric switch-gear 1 may also be required to belocated on the support. A main mask 9 is arranged to extend over thesupport and is provided with a number of openings 19 throughwhich theinstrument may be viewed,

- but which obscure the members of the support.

It may be that the particular grouping of instruments I3 to I! isrequired to be maintained in different car models, but which differentmodels require a different layout of the switch-gear. For example, inFigure 1 only a single switch is provided, whereas in other models anumber of switches may be required to be provided sideby-side. The mainmask, therefore, is provided with a sufficiently large aperture 20opposite the switch-gear as to enable the maximum number of switches tobe provided in any instrument having the same layout of instruments l3to IT, as referred to above. The aperture 20 is masked by a sub-mask 2|so that the mounting of the switch-gear, or any other part of thesupport,

3 cannot be seen through the aperture. As shown in Figure 2, thesub-mask 2| is secured to the horizontal members II] by set-screws 28and a flange 22 on the switch-gear is secured to the sub-mask byset-screws 23. It. will be noted that the set-screws 23, being part ofthe mounting means of the switch-gear, are concealed from view by themargin of overlap of the sub-mask; and the main mask. Thus, by providingthe different switch-gears with an appropriate submask the main mask maybe the same, irrespective of what switch-gear is employed.

In the arrangement shown in Figure '3, the

sub-mask 2| is shown to be formed integrally with the switch-gear and tobe attached directly to the horizontal members I!) byset-screws 24. 1

In the arrangement shown in Figure 4', the

switch unit 1' is provided with an integral flange 25 which is securedby set-screws 26 to the horizontal members It! independently of thesubmask 2t which is secured to said horizontal members by otherset-screws 2"! which pass through gaps in the periphery of the flange25. Alternatively, the sub-mask 2| could be secured direct to theunder-side of the main mask.

Although the invention is primarily for enabl'ing a different number ofsmaller accessories such as switch-gear to be employed in differentlayouts, it will be appreciated that a sub-mask could be employed forlarger accessories.

The term instrument as used in the claims is intended to cover allconventional or desirable instruments and accessories for mounting uponthe instrument panel of a vehicle.

Iclai'm: 1. An instrument panel installation for changa able arrays ofinstruments comprising in combination; a rearwardly' disposed instrumentrupporting frame, a. mainmask. disposed in front of said. supportingframe and having at least one opening therein large enough. to surrounda plurality of positions for certain instruments, a sub-- mask of an.area only slightly greater than said opening in the main mask, means forsecuring the instruments to said sub-mask, means for securing thesub-mask to the supporting frame in a position at the hack of the mainmask, so as to cover all parts in; the opening of the main mask notoccupied by one or more instruments for a selected lay-out, whereby theportions of the supporting frame which might otherwise be visible maybeobscured; e

2'. An instrument panel installation for changeable arrays ofinstruments comprising, in combination, a rearwardly disposed instrumentsupporting frame, a main mask disposed in front of said supporting frameand having at least one opening therein large enough to surround theplurality of alternative positions for certain instruments, a sub-maskarranged only slightly to overlap the part of the main mask surroundingthe opening, means for securing the instruments to the sub-mask with thesecuring means located in said slightly overlapping portion of the mask,means for securing the sub-mask to the supporting frame in a position atthe. back of the main mask to cover all parts of the opening in the mainmask not occupied by one or more instruments for a selected lay-out,whereby portions of the supporting frame which might otherwise bevisible may be obscured.

3. An instrument panel installation for changeable arrays of instrumentscomprising, in combination, a rearwardily disposed instrument supportingframe, a main mask disposed in front of said supporting frame and havingat least one opening therein. large enough to surround a plurality ofalternative positions for certain instruments, means for supporting theinstruments fr'omthe' instrument frame, a sub-mask of an area slightlygreater than the opening in the main. mask, means for supporting said.sub m'ask at the back of the main mask independently of the supportingmeans for said instruments and in a position to cover all parts of theopening in the main masknot occupied by one or more instruments for aselected. lay-out and to obscure the instrument frame and the supportingmeans of said instruments.

4:. Arr instrument panel installation for changeable arrays ofinstruments comprising in combination, a rearwardly disposed instrumentsupporting frame, a main mask disposed in front of said supporting frameand having at least one opening-therein large enoughto surround a plurality of alternative positions for certain instruments, a sub-maskofanarea only slightly greater than saidopening said main mask and formedintegrally with an instrument, and-means for securing said sub-mask tosaidsupporting frame, so as to cover all parts of the openings in themain mask not occupied by one or more instruments for a selectedlay-out, whereby portions of the supporting frame which would otherwisebe visible may be obscured. I

5. An instrument panel installation. according to claim 4 wherein themeans for securing the sub-mask to the supporting frame are solocated asto be obscured by the main mask.

. SYDNEY ALBERT WALTON.

. marsnnnoescr'rnp V The following references are of record in the fileof this patent: V UNITED STATES PATENTS 555,909 Great Britain Sept. 13;1943

